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A nationwide population-based cohort study: will anxiety disorders increase subsequent cancer risk?

A nationwide population-based cohort study: will anxiety disorders increase subsequent cancer risk?

Authors :
Ji-An Liang
Li-Min Sun
Kuan-Pin Su
Shih-Ni Chang
Fung-Chang Sung
Chih-Hsin Muo
Chia-Hung Kao
Source :
PLoS ONE, Vol 7, Iss 4, p e36370 (2012)
Publication Year :
2012
Publisher :
Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2012.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible association between malignancy and anxiety disorders (AD) in Taiwan. METHODS: We employed data from the National Health Insurance system of Taiwan. The AD cohort contained 24,066 patients with each patient randomly frequency matched according to age and sex with 4 individuals from the general population without AD. Cox's proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to estimate the influence of AD on the risk of cancer. RESULTS: Among patients with AD, the overall risk of developing cancer was only 1% higher than among subjects without AD, and the difference was not significant (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.95-1.07). With regard to individual types of cancer, the risk of developing prostate cancer among male patients with AD was significantly higher (HR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.02-1.71). On the other hand, the risk of cervical cancer among female patients with AD was marginally significantly lower than among female subjects without AD (HR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.51-1.03). LIMITATIONS: One major limitation is the lack of information regarding the life style or behavior of patients in the NHI database, such as smoking and alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the failure to identify a relationship between AD and the overall risk of cancer, we found that Taiwanese patients with AD had a higher risk of developing prostate cancer and a lower risk of developing cervical cancer.

Subjects

Subjects :
Medicine
Science

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19326203
Volume :
7
Issue :
4
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
PLoS ONE
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.595cd44786374efcb4c986817f5f8095
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0036370